


Most Plausible Conspiracy Theory That Will Give Us Trouble in the Future

by EtchCantrellorLightningHeterodyne



Category: Sharp Zero (Webcomic)
Genre: Graphic Description, Injury, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 23:21:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15278445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtchCantrellorLightningHeterodyne/pseuds/EtchCantrellorLightningHeterodyne
Summary: Crankshift fluff. Romance. Cuteness. Despite my best attempts it sounds like a romance novel thought it ISN'T as cheesy as they usually are it's just cuteness bc cuteness.





	Most Plausible Conspiracy Theory That Will Give Us Trouble in the Future

Redshift grunted, slowly hauling himself back up. He had apparently broken a few ribs fighting the idiot with a robot who had decided to try and take over the world. 

Crank hit the wall next to him.

The only perk of this situation is that Idiot With a Robot had ambushed them in the middle of a fight, and the two had set aside their differences in favor of beating the shit out of a common enemy. This was proving to be much harder than they'd thought, and so now Alex  _ and  _ Redshift had a broken rib and a sprained wrist (both of which he'd have to explain to Eli) and Crank was limping heavily, and Redshift almost felt actual sympathy for the guy.

But Crank had tried to strangle him so Redshift was pretty content to be heartless.

At some point they killed the robot. People were called, Redshift and Crank slipped into a corner to wait for an ambulance, and the guy they were fighting was take into custody.

"I think it broke my ankle," Crank hissed as he slid down the wall. He gingerly straightened his injured leg, leaning the weight against Redshift's own leg. Redshift, in retribution, sagged against his (temporary) ally, taking as much weight as he could off of his ribs.

"I have a few broken ribs to explain tomorrow," Redshift said in solidarity.

Little did they know that a truce resulting from sheer exhaustion and lots of pain would fuel a fan club they both wished they'd never discovered.

\---

"Hey Shifty, did you know that there are people out there who actually think we make a cute couple?"

Redshift aimed a kick at Crank's mask in response.

"Rude. I thought the red and green symmetry would be nice."

_ Jesus Christ I wanna go home. _

He lunged at Crank, shifting with the intention of coming up behind him and slamming him into a wall hard enough that he had to forefit, but instead wound up with an elbow in his gut and extreme pain from where his still-healing ribs were.

Crank wasn't even favoring his leg anymore.

Redshift gasped, clutching the spot the fractures had been in and stumbling back.

_ Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. _

_ Fuck. Please tell me he missed the point where he re-broke them and that this is just nerves being douchey. _

"Damn. Don't they ever give you sick leave? Or are you just trying to make me feel bad?"

"Fuck. Off."

"I'm serious, why the hell are we fighting if you're still injured? I saw the hit that broke your ribs you shouldn't be up for another week, Red."

"Why is your leg fine?" Redshift asked, if only to take his mind off the ribs that had, because the universe hated him, gotten broken again.

"My boss loves me and has lots of money."

_ I really want to go back to HQ and tell Eli that the next time he tells me not to go out I'll listen to him. _

Alex blinked. His vision was fuzzy.

That wasn't normal.

He stumbled. Crank caught him, oddly enough.

_ What the fuck? _

_ Please tell me he didn't break  _ more  _ ribs than were previously injured. _

He registered something warm and wet and coppery-smelling dripping down his lower torso.

Not only had his ribs broken again, they'd broken in such a way that the bone had poked holes in his skin.

Fuck.

Redshift wavered.

"Red? Seriously, what's wrong?"

"Re-opened... the... fractures... and one of them... is... ha... ow... poking holes in my torso. Nngh-"

A pair of arms wrapped around his waist, lowering him to the ground surprisingly carefully.

Alex wound up dozing off against his rival's chest. Or passing out from the pain, he wasn't quite sure.

\---

_ Beep. _

_ Beep. _

_ Beep. _

Alex opened his eyes. He was in a hospital room- 

His mask.

His mask, his uniform, where-

"ALEX!"

Danny burst through the door, in all his anxiety-fueled nerd brother glory.

"Oh my god Alex I thought you were gonna die-"

"I'm fine."

"And  _Crank_ of all people dropped you at my place to take to the hospital- it's okay your stuff is back at HQ- and I had to wait for the ambulance but the bones were  _sticking out of your gut_ and I was so freaked and so worried and oh my god are you okay?"

Alex nodded slowly.

"You said Crank dropped me off?"

"Yeah he felt awful about the whole thing he's the one who called the ambulance and paid half your medical bills."  


"...how long have I been out?"

"Three days."

"THREE DAYS!?"  


"You'll be bedridden for another three weeks until we're sure the breaks healed properly."

"Shit."

\---

Alex waited. One week. Two. 

The last night of week three came pretty fast, all things considered. Alex probably would have gone insane, had his worst enemy not kept slipping notes onto the windowsill next to him. Every time, Crank pointedly avoided looking at his face.

Alex was oddly touched.

When something exploded on the grass in front of his window, and he turned to find Crank and Dispatch working with Isaiah and Kim to try an neutralize a medical school dropout hellbent on revenge, he was even more touched, because he knew that the reason Crank kept the guy from getting even an inch closer was because he knew that this side of the west wing wasn't as empty as the others thought.

When Crank got thrown through his window, Alex got worried.

"Please tell me you're not gonna be my new roommate."

"No... agh... promises, Red."

Crank struggled upright, and when Alex turned to look again, Dispatch had flat out torn the guy's arm off, and Kim and Isaiah were shooting him with moose tranquilizer.

"Fight's over. Looks like they didn't take kindly to someone throwing their mascot through a window."

The white haired super made his way over to the window, and probably would have climbed out had Alex not grabbed him.

"Hell no. You just got tossed through the damn thing like a rag doll, you're staying in here until someone comes to grab you."

Crank almost turned to glare, before remembering that he wasn't looking at Alex's face. He shifted so he sat on the foot of Alex's bed, back to him.

"Someone found out about me calling an ambulance for you and now half of LA thinks we should get together."

"...is that honestly all you could think of?"

"Okay, there are conspiracy theories running around about me actually being a Vindicator who had to go undercover to try and convert Dispatch to our side while you begged HQ to pull me out of the operation so we no longer had to hide our relationship, and the news stations and tabloids jumped on that and are actually trying to find evidence for it, so I think it's a pretty good starter."

"Meh. I'm personally more fond of the one where you grievously injured me, and in a reawakening of your kind and compassionate side left me on the doorstep of a med student in the hopes that they could save my life, because you finally admitted to yourself that you're in love with me and now visit me every night leaving anonymous gifts that I'm extremely touched by while I long to know who my secret admirer is and you angst over telling me because you think I'll hate you. Apparently someone's writing a book."

"...okay you win."

"Win what?"

"Most Plausible Conspiracy Theory That Will Give Us Trouble In The Future."

Alex grinned, though the other man couldn't see it.

"What's my prize?"

Crank reached up, and undid the buckles holding his mask in place. Alex's smile faltered.

"You don't have to," he said.

"I want to," Crank replied. "If you want to as well."

"I do."

"Then I do too."

Crank turned around, and Alex leaned into the light.

"My real name is Ace, by the way."

"Alex."

Crank- Ace- was one of those people who looked exactly like the unfairly hot scoundrel in every bodice ripper.

"So, why exactly  _did_ I win Most Plausible Theory?"

Ace's gaze skittered away, landing on everything in the room except Alex.

"Because it might be true?" The white haired man said.

_ Yeah. I can live with it being true. _

"It is on my end," Alex said.

Ace turned back to him, shock etched all over his face. He swallowed, scooting a little closer to the person who used to be his sworn enemy.

The singer stared into Alex's endless brown eyes, and before he could say that it was true on his end as well, Alex said "I know," and kissed him.


End file.
